Dear readers,

Lol, you're going to absolutely hate me for the beginning of this chapter. Please just keep reading and trust me. Thank you.

Chapter Fifteen

The Escape

Murdock walked slowly toward his room. He had been in a rather pleasant mood that evening up until now. The almost constant grin had faded from his face and his eyes, covered as they were, had turned a deep blood red. He paused in front of his door, his fingers an inch from the wood. It was completely silent inside.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped in quietly. The room was dark. He grinned.

"No doubt decided to sneak out on me. To find your lover!" He waved a hand and several candles were set alight with purple flame. Murdock's smile faded and he stepped back, a little surprised. Sally was lounging on the large purple bed, wearing the nightgown he had instructed her to wear. She had a look of utmost innocence on her face. One tiny stitched hand was running through her hair nervously.

"Perhaps not." He said quietly. "Or maybe your just quick, darling, and you managed to return before me." He leaned on the edge of the bed and gave her a penetrating look. A look of guilt crossed over Sally's countenance and she bit her lip, so that her culpability was even more pronounced.

Murdock frowned.

"Where is he? I know he isn't dead! I can't hear him, like I can the others."

An odd look crossed over Sally's face and she smiled a little.

"I thought you said you knew where he was." She said playfully. Murdock's eyes narrowed.

"I lied. Now tell me where he is!" He grabbed her wrist forcefully, and then was taken aback when she shook his hand free.

"It doesn't matter where he is." She said bitterly. "You were right before…even if you were lying. He's so weak that he might as well be dead. He's not like my lover at all anymore." A look of sorrow crossed her features. Murdock straightened a little, looking slightly relieved.

"Yes…well…I figured as much." Feeling quite a bit more cheerful, Murdock slid into bed beside Sally. "Well, my dear, I'm afraid you'll just have to live with it. I'm your best bet now. As I have said before, everything Jack was is mine now. I have all of the pieces of him you loved. He's playing with an empty deck, because all of his cards are mine." During his rather long explanation, in which he hadn't paid much attention to Sally as he situated himself in the large purple bed, something had flickered in Sally's eyes. When he finally did turn back towards her, she was smiling and whatever had been there before was gone.

"Yes…your right…I see that now. Seeing him that way made me sad…but he was so pathetic…and…I just can't love him like that…I suppose that makes me horrible." Murdock grinned delightfully.

"Not at all, my dear. He isn't really Jack anymore, after all." Sally nodded, looking as though this made her feel loads better.

Murdock leaned in to kiss her, all of the previous woes of the evening forgotten. This time, Sally let him. She even returned his kiss. After a few moments, they broke and Sally gave him an absolutely charming smile.

"Would you like some wine, darling." She asked lovingly. Murdock returned her smile. But his was not so charming as it was chilling and wicked. She appeared as to not have noticed.

"Please." Sally stood up, the skirt of her purple nightgown falling and dragging across the floor as she crossed the room to a rather ancient looking bottle of wine. The label read:

Vindictive Ale:

300-year-old alcohol mixed

With the real blood of hero's!

Drink the blood of the men

Who vanquished YOU.

Sally pulled the cork out and filled two glasses with the dark, murky wine. She then lifted the glasses and returned to the bed, handing one to Murdock as she lowered herself into the black and purple sheets.

Sally raised her glass.

"To a long and horrible reign." She said sweetly. Murdock grinned and touched his glass to hers. He lifted it to his lips and then paused, noting that Sally was not doing the same. He lowered it, his smile fading a little. Sally watched him do this with some confusion.

"Ladies first." He said quietly.

Sally looked down at her own glass and then, much to his surprise; she smiled and drank deeply from it. After she swallowed, the suspicion had left Murdock's gaze.

"You'll have to excuse me, sweet heart. It was only earlier this evening that you were ready to pull your arm off to get away from me.

"I understand.' Sally said, while taking another sip from her glass.

He looked at her, in a satisfied manner and then drained his own glass completely.

"Ah…delicious. A bit bitter…but that's what's to be expected from wine that's older then you." He smiled and set his glass aside. Sally was smiling at him politely. Her own glass still clutched in her tiny hand. Her other arm, still handless was lying on the sheets beside her. Murdock seemed to notice this and for a moment, the suspicion returned to his gaze.

"What happened to your other hand my dear?"

Sally looked down at it as though she had noticed it for the first time. She frowned, but didn't hesitate in the least.

"I lost it after the meeting. It snagged on a fence. I looked for it, but I wasn't able to find it." A look of concern crossed her face as she pressed some of the autumn leaves back into her arm. Murdock nodded, seeming to accept this answer.

He took the glass of wine gently from her hand and set it aside. Sally looked up at him anxiously as his leather fingers ran through her hair.

"No need to worry about that now. I am sure it will be found." He removed his hat, revealing his now lavender colored eyes and leaned in to kiss her again. He paused halfway and his face suddenly filled with confusion.

"Funny…I'm suddenly…very…very tired." He said, backing up a little. Sally watched him, her face now, unreadable.

"Perhaps you should sleep then." She said quietly. Murdock nodded and then his wretched irises fell back into his lids and he collapsed against the silver head of the giant divan styled bed. Sally grinned in satisfaction as she stood and crossed over to the other side of the room.

She stood at the door for a moment, observing the phantom as he slept.

"You may have Jack's talent. But I love him for what he has inside and I hate you for what you have inside and no matter what you take or what he loses that part doesn't change." She exited the room, closing the door behind her quietly.

Zero was waiting outside the door impatiently. He whined softly when he saw her.

"Shhh, Zero. I only lined his glass with a little of it…I don't know how strong it is. Come on. I want to find those two children before we leave." She pulled Jack's note from out of one of the ribbons in her hair, undoing the ribbon as she did and squeezed the note for comfort in her good hand. Zero followed her down hall as she searched for the Evil Playroom.

Since Lock and Barrel had returned that evening, neither one had spoken to other short of Lock saying nasty things about the smaller boy under his breath. Finally, after seeing that Barrel was deep in thought, the older boy picked up a rusty blade and flung it at him angrily.

Barrel noticed it and managed to duck as it grazed the back of his neck. (But didn't take off his head…and really…that was the part that mattered.)

"Watch it!" Barrel shouted angrily at him.

"No way, stupid! You said you'd explain why you were acting so weird earlier and I want you to explain!"

"I can't!"

"Why?"

Barrel leaned forward a little and whispered.

"He might be listening." Lock considered this for a moment, and shook his head.

"Nah…he just got married this morning, remember. He's not paying attention to us."

At that moment the door opened and Lock shouted in worried surprise. Both boys looked towards it as though something terrible was about to come through. They relaxed after they saw it was Sally.

"Oh…it's you. DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Lock said angrily. A look of worry had crossed Barrels face.

"Where's Murdock?"

Sally closed the door behind her and then spoke quietly. She didn't think he'd wake up any time soon, but she decided it was best to be safe.

"He's asleep. I slipped him some Deadly Night Shade." Both boys looked slightly impressed at this statement.

"Listen, Jack sent me a note. He wants us all to escape tonight and meet him at the doctor's house tomorrow morning. He wrote that he has a plan and he thinks he needs all of us to pull it off."

"Jack's alive?" Lock asked, with a note of shocked surprise in his voice.

"Yes. Come on. We have to be quick."

Both boys nodded and followed her out the door. Lock seemed to be in a bit of a haze as he did.

'Incredible,' he thought. 'We're actually escaping.'

Somewhere, several miles away in a very cold and gloomy waiting room, the Grim Reaper sat impatiently. The head of the board had fallen asleep beside him. The reaper was getting agitated, as he constantly had to push the man off of him.

He raised one skeletal hand to look at the tiny sheet of paper clutched in it.

'#999120.' It read. He frowned and looked up at the screen above the receptionist's desk. 'Now serving # 365." The illuminated letters read. The reaper cursed under his breath and stood up. He crossed to the desk where a bored woman was sitting and chewing a piece of stale gum.

"Madam…I am here for a very important reason and would really like to get back into one of the filing rooms so that I can find some information on a dangerous man…so if you would be so kind as to let ME THROUGH!"

The receptionist looked up from a paper she was reading.

"Please return to your seat sir…" The teenager said in a bored manner. She pointed up to the screen. "And wait for your turn. Thank you." She then went back to reading her paper. The reaper waited for a moment, then growled in frustration and returned to his seat.

To Senko 44: YOU HAVE TO SEE THE THEATRE VERSION! (Phantom of The Opera.) It's fantastic! Man! And I thought I was a fan before! I still don't have the CD…which makes me sad…because I've had all of the songs stuck in my head since last Thursday when I went. Oh well…-.-

Anyways…I hope I didn't confuse anyone right at first. I imagine that everyone knew what was going on right away…but I was kind of worried about that. Anyway…here's another chapter. I know I'm going to finish this story before Pumpkin Town now. It is SO close to being done. I'd estimate another five chapters at the most. I hope you liked this one. Thank you very much for your reviews. I'll update soon!